Generally, a washing machine is a device for performing a washing function in a manner of rotating a drum rotatably provided within a tub by a motor. In this case, the tub receives water therein and laundry, water and detergent are held within the drum. Washing machines are classified into an upright type, a drum type and the like according to a rotational shaft direction of the drum. In the following description, the drum type washing machine is explained.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of a drum type washing machine according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a drum type washing machine according to a related art consists of a cabinet 300 having an opening at its front side, a tub 5 provided within the opening to receive water therein, a drum 4 provided within the tub 5 and having a rotational axis arranged in a horizontal direction to be connected to a rotational shaft of a motor, and a suspension assembly provided between an outer sidewall of the tub 5 and the cabinet 300 to reduce vibration generated from an activated washing operation.
In this case, the suspension assembly, as shown in FIG. 1, generally consists of a plurality of springs 700 and dampers 500 connected between the tub 5 and the cabinet 300. Specifically, the damper 500 having a cylinder structure is rotatably provided under the tub 5.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective diagram of a damper to be assembled to a cabinet of a drum type washing machine according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 2, first of all, after an insertion hole 501 of an insertion piece 502 of a damper 500 is aligned to a fixing hole 801 of a fixing piece 800 provided to an inside of a cabinet 300, a damper pin 100 is fitted in the fixing hole 801 and the insertion hole 501.
Meanwhile, the damper pin 100 is formed of a material having prescribed elasticity. A central part of the damper pin 100 configures a body part 101 having a long cylindrical shape to be loaded in the fixing hole 801 and the insertion hole 501.
A hanging sill 103 is provided to a circumference of one end of the body part 101 to sustain a rotatably joined state between the damper 500 and the fixing piece 800 by the damper pin 100, and the other end of the body part 101 is taper to facilitate its insertion in the fixing hole 801 and the insertion hole 501.
A hanging piece 102 is provided to the body part 101 of the damper pin 100 in a direction opposite to the hanging sill 103 to prevent the inserted damper pin 100 from being separated from the fixing piece and the damper 500. A slot 105 is formed along a lateral side of the body part 101 so that the damper pin 100 can shrink to reduce its thickness for insertion facilitation in inserting the damper pin 100 in the fixing hole 801 and the insertion hole 501.
In the above-configured damper pin 100, the material of the damper pin 100 is fatigued with the vibration and the like applied to the damper pin 100 in operating the washing machine. Once the fatigue is accumulated for a predetermined time, elasticity of the damper pin 100 is weakened and a width of the slot 105 is reduced.
If so, a size of the damper pin 100 inserted in the fixing hole 801 and the insertion hole 501 becomes loosened to bring about a shaking phenomenon between the fixing hole 801 and the insertion hole 501 due to the vibration and the like generated from driving the drum type washing machine. And, the shaking phenomenon of the damper pin 100 brings about vibration and noise in performing a washing process.
And, the damper pin 100 fitted in the fixing and insertion holes 801 and 501 is abraded by the friction of its rotational movement.
Therefore, it is important to improve the structure of the damper pin to prevent the damper pin from losing its elasticity.